Apricot cheese cake, #18, july 2016

Apricot Cheesecake Bars

I had the biggest taste for apricot- and when I googled recipes it seems like I had trouble finding something to fit what I wanted. So I modified this Martha Stewart recipe to make cheesecake. 

Instead of graham crackers I used Vannilla wafers for my base and instead of real apricots I used a can of apricot filling. 

Here we are now in January- maybe even February by the time I post this and I have excess Apricot filling AND cream cheese again...looks like I know what I will be making... ;) I enjoyed this and it fit the bill for what I wanted :)

INGREDIENTS

• 18 graham crackers
• 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
• Coarse salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
• 10 ounces apricots (about 4), halved, pitted, and cut into eighths
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

  2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, room temperature

• 1/2 cup sour cream, room temperature
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a food processor, process graham crackers, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1/4 teaspoon salt until fine crumbs form. Transfer to a medium bowl and stir in melted butter until crumbs are moistened. Wipe processor bowl clean. With a flat-bottomed 1-cup measure or glass, press crumbs evenly into a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Bake until crust is firm, 15 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack. Reduce heat to 325 degrees.
2. In a small saucepan, bring apricots, 1/4 cup sugar, and pinch of salt to a boil over medium-high, stirring, until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until mixture is shiny, 10 minutes. In food processor, puree apricot mixture, lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon water.
3. In a large bowl, using an electric mixer, beat cream cheese and sour cream on medium until smooth. Add 3/4 cup sugar and beat until smooth. Add vanilla and pinch of salt and beat to combine. Add eggs and beat until smooth, scraping down bowl as needed. Pour cream-cheese mixture into cooled crust and smooth top.
4. Randomly drop small spoonfuls apricot puree on cream-cheese mixture. With a skewer or thin-bladed knife, gently swirl puree. Bake just until set, about 25 minutes. Let cool slightly in pan on rack, then refrigerate until chilled and firm before cutting into squares, 2 hours.